Air-current attachment for heating radiators



Feb. 2, 1937. c. M. WOOLLEY AIR CURRENT ATTACHMENT FOR HEATING RADIATORSFiled Sept. 26, 1935 .1. Tm a.

7 INVENTOR Qlarence Wool-leg Y" I C/ d e Patented Feb. 2, 1937AIR-CURRENT ATTACHMENT FOR HEATING RADIATORS Clarence M. Woolley, NewYork, N. Y., assignor to American Radiator Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New Jersey Application September 26, 1935, Serial No.42,235

5 Claims.

My invention relates to air-current attachments for heating radiators.

More particularly, embodiments of my invention are designed for assemblywith heating radiators by direct support upon the heating radiator,securement being preferably had by hook-like elements or equivalentembracing a portion of the radiator assembly.

Preferred embodiments of my present inven tion comprise a housingenclosing and supporting one or more motor and fan assemblies, a septumprovided with an opening or openings correlated respectively with suchfan or fans, and ingress openings in the housing communicating with theinterior of the housing above such septum.

Commercial embodiments of my invention comprise the stated essentialelements combined as a unitary assembly, thus affording pre-fabrieatingand assembly in a factory or the like, and facilitating installationrelative to a radiator, removal of the assembly as a unit forinspection, cleaning and repair, etc. Desirably, such unitary assembliesmay be of standard lengths of casing, the number of the motor-fan unitsbeing determined by the size of the casing and the motor-fan unitoutput.

During the stage of operation of the fan, assuming steam or othersuitable heating medium to be supplied to the radiator, air is projecteddownwardly and in heat exchange relation with the heating surfaces ofthe radiator, thus increasing the effective heat units delivered by theradiator, the air projected by the fan or fans being induced through theair ingress openings of the casing and bringing about the positivecirculation, additionally to rise of temperature, of the air of the roomor other space served by the radiator.

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fullyunderstood from the following detail description and the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away invertical section for the sake of clarity, of a preferred form of apreferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, theillustrated type of my invention comprises a casing It! having asubstantially fully open bottom I I, members such as the angle platesI2, I2, respectively having one angled portion, see In, welded orotherwise secured to the material of the opposite sides I3, I4, of thecasing ID, the projecting angled portions, see I2b, serving to rest uponaligned top face portions of the heating radiator assembly, R, usuallyof sections as shown in the drawing. By such or equivalent provision ofmeans, the casing I0 is arranged to 5 engage and be supported by suchengagement with the upper face portions of a radiator assembly.

If desired, stability of support of the casing I0 is had by lowerlyextending the opposite sides I3, ,10 I4, of the casing III, as isindicated at I3a, I la. Also, hook-like members, see I5, adjustablysecured and carried at their fixed ends, see I5a, as by means of nut andthreading, may beemployed, as appears more fully hereinafter, foranchoring 5 the casing relative to the radiator assembly R.

One or more motor and fan assemblies maybe utilized, the illustratedembodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 showing two such assemblies, each motorbeing indicated I6 and its associated fan I'I. Such motor-fan assemblyis suitably housed within and supported by the casing I 0, as by meansof a bracket I8, one angled portion IBa of which may be secured by boltand nut, or equivalent, to, say, the inner face of the rear side I3 ofthe casing or housing I0. Preferably, each motor-fan assembly isresiliently suspended, conveniently had by suspending elements I9, I9,desirably of one length of resilient steel or other suitable metal orother material, suitably bent, and riveted or, otherwise supended fromthe free angled portion of its associated bracket I8.

Coordinated with such fan I! I provide a septum 20 extendingimperforately end to end within the casing or housing II! from onelateral side I3 to the opposite lateral side I4 excepting the one ormore openings 201, corresponding to the number of fans, which opening20a. each has a diameter slightly larger than the efiective diameter ofthe therewith coordinated fan. If desired, the edge of each opening 200.may be provided with a cylindrically extending flange, serving incoordination with the blades of the associated fan to form a tunnel forthe projected circulation therethrough of air. 1

Ingress openings for air are shown in the illustrated preferredembodiment at El, in this instance disposed wholly in one lateral side,i. e., the front side Id of the casing, the remaining sides of thecasing I0, i. e. its top 22, its opposite end sides 23, 24, and its rearside I3 being imperforate; each of such air ingress openings ii iseffectively located above the septum 20. However, if desired, airingress openings may be provided in the material of more than one side,such 7 turn in heat exchange relation with the heating surfaces of theradiator assembly R, a suit- ,able heating medium being assumed to besupplied to the radiator assembly,

The material of such septum 20 may afiord, as shown, dual functioning,i. e., for the anchoring and adjustable positioning of the securinghooks l5, IS, in addition to its above stated purposes. 'l'ireierably,.also, as shown, the septum 20 is spaced a predetermined clearance fromthe heating surfaces of the radiator assembly, as by means ofspacers,see 25, conveniently of U-bent plates, the base of the U-formationengaging the fiat under face of the septum 20 and embracing the bodyportion of the associated hook-like member IS, the free edges of theU-formation being usually rectilinear to rest upon usually aligned topfaces of the radiator assembly, or

configurated in correspondence to the configuration of the top faces ofthe radiator assembly.

operation the air of the room or other space is Embodiments of myinvention find particular I The period of actuation of the one or moremotor-fan assemblies may be controlled by a manually operated switch,diagrammatically indicated at 26, which may provide for multiple speedactuation. Advantageously, such current controlling switch 26 may bethermostatically. responsive, most advantageously responsive thermostatically to differential temperature setting, as for example,providing for full speed'of each motor-fan assembly for a set minimumtemperature, half or other partial speed for a set intermediatetemperature, and off for a set maximum temperature.

-Under the stages of operation of the fan assembly of my, attachment toa heating radiator, air induced through the ingress openings isprojected downwardly upon and in heat exchange relation to theheatingfsurfaces of the radiator assembly, and generally toward thefloor of the room or other space served by the radiator. The greater thespeed of any given fan assembly the more effectively the thus heated airis projected to such floor, thus correspondinglyenhancing,

desiring such objective; In all such stages of fan re-circ'ulated asWell as increased in temperature,

f in which function the air openings areadvantageously'in the front sideof the casing. Under the stage of non-operation 0f the fan i. e};boosting the comfort of person or persons upwardly of the'radiatorassembly, thence'between the usual spacings at the top of the radiatorassembly or through the fan opening or openings and ultimatelythrough'the open-z ings 2| intothe room or other space.

The resilient mounting of the motor and fan assembly serves to minimizemechanical trans mission of vibration to thecasing proper, and

silence otherwise, incident to the actuation of the motor and of thefan, also to minimize mechanical shock or stresses to the motor or fanincident to handling of the assembly, etc.

By covering and/or enclosing the top of the radiator assembly, myinvention serves to conceal the radiator assembly, which objective maybe further attained by extending the front side of the casing to extendforwardly of or in front 1. The combination with a radiator assembly,

of a casing, one or more motor and'fan assemblies hous'edwithin saidcasing, means-supporting said one or more motor and fan" assemblies 25departing from the spirit of V and wholly supported by said casing, aseptum provided with an opening or openings correlated with the fan orfans of said motor and fan assembly, said casing being provided withopenings communicating with the interior of the casing above saidseptum, the bottom of the casing being substantially wholly open, andmeans carried by saidcasing for supporting said casing and its statedassociated elements wholly upon the upper face portions of the radiatorassembly.

2. The combination with a 'radiatorassembly,

of a casing, one or more motor and fan assemblies housed within saidcasing, resilient means supporting said one or more motor and fanassemblies and wholly supported by said casing, a"

septum provided with an opening 'or openings correlated with the fanor'fans of said motor and fan assembly, said casing being provided withopenings communicating with the interior of the an opening or openingscorrelated with the fan or fans of said motor and fan assembly, saidcasing being provided at one lateral side only with openingscommunicating with the interior of the casing above said septum, the topof the casing being imperforate the bottom of the'casing beingsubstantially wholly open, and means carried by said casing forsupporting said casing. and its. stated associated elements wholly uponthe upper fact portions of the radiator'assembly, said casing supportingmeans including a lowerly edge extension of said one lateral side, saidlowerly edge extension of said one lateral side being imperforate. 4.The combination with a radiator assembly, of a casing, one or more motorand fan assemblies housed within said casing, means supporting said oneor more motor and fan assemblies and wholly supported by said casing, aseptum provided with an opening or openings correlated with the fan orfans of said motor and fan assembly, said casing being provided at itsfront side only with openings communicating with the interior of thecasing above said septum, the bottom of the casing being substantiallywholly open, and means carried by said casing forsupporting said casingand its stated associated elements wholly upon the upper face portionsof the radiator assembly, said casing supporting means including alowerly edge extension of said front side, said lowerly edge extensionof said front side being imperforate.

5. The combination with a radiator assembly, of a casing, one or moremotor and fan assemblies housed within said casing, means supportingsaid one or more motor and fan assemblies and wholly supported by saidcasing, a septum provided with an opening or openings correlated withthe fan or fans of said motor and fan assembly, said septum otherwiseextending imperforately wholly through the interior of the casing, saidcasing being provided with openings communicating with the interior ofthe casing above said septum, the bottom of the casing beingsubstantially wholly open, and means carried by said casing forsupporting said casing and its stated associated elements wholly uponthe upper face portions of the radiator assembly.

CLARENCE ML. WOOLLEYl

